Was This the Reason Orioles' Didn't Protect Top Prospect Before Rule 5 Draft?

The Baltimore Orioles made an interesting decision in not protecting one of their top prospects ahead of the Rule 5 Draft. There may have been a reason behind that choice.

As Major League teams around the league figured out which of their top prospects they wanted to add to their 40-man roster to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft, the Baltimore Orioles made a surprising decision.

They only had one player of note who was eligible to be part of that draft if they didn't protect him.

No. 17 prospect in their farm system, Hudson Haskin, could have been added to their 40-man roster ahead of the deadline to avoid having him be potentially selected by another team.

Instead, the Orioles decided not to add him despite having four open spots.

The second round pick from 2020 has shown to be a promising prospect so far, making it to the Triple-A ranks in his third professional season.

However, there might be a reason why Baltimore ultimately decided against this optional protection.

Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis of MLB.com pointed out that during 2023, Haskin only had limited appearances because of two separate injuries.

"Haskin did reach Triple-A this past season, but also played in just 33 games because of first a hamstring injury and then a hip impingement that required surgery. There are some tools here, with some power and speed, but to date he’s shown only glimpses of that potential while struggling to stay healthy," they wrote.

Before the deadline, both speculated that the decision by the Orioles to add him to their 40-man roster would be a tough one, and it looks like they had the right notion.

The overall depth of Baltimore's farm system allows them the luxury of passing on players of Haskin's potential.

Now, the 24-year-old outfielder will be eligible to be drafted by any team during the upcoming Rule 5 Draft.